salads & entrees

Ooey-gooey and super crisp all at once, the grilled chicken cheese melt of my Hollywood diner day yesteryear's was a flavor I still craved post diet change.

After I began to include a little yeast back in my diet, after 7 years without any, I found a few breads that I like to include from time to time in my lunch rotation. My favorite brands are listed below with the recipe.

This gluten-free, dairy-free rendition is as flavorful as I remember the traditional nosh being and it's a craveable home menu item FOR SURE.

Place one piece of bread butter side down on warm skillet and top with vegan cheese, chicken mixture, sliced avocado, sea salt and black pepper. Top with other piece of bread, butter side up.

Once the bottom is golden brown (you can check with a spatula by gently lifting the sandwhich off the griddle), carefully turn the sandwhich over with the spatula to allow the other piece of bread to get golden and crunchy.

Once done, transfer to a plate, allow to cool and serve with fruit, vegetables or organic potato chips.

I am having a winter love affair with bowls of all kinds. From my dimensional breakfast bowls like this one, to my daily lunch bowls that satisfy the deepest hunger of a breastfeeding mama I can't get enough.

As we continue to host our Friday Night Dinners, this past week my hubs and I were running late and pretty tired after a long week of a healing baby so Mr. Charming and our friend got Chipotle. Instead of getting one of their bowls, I decided to make my own for more options.

Below is how I make my spicy, savory, ultra flavorful Chicken Burrito Bowl. So many textures, so many nuances of spice - a craveable must-have for your meal plan arsenal.

Ingredients:

1 C. Spanish Rice (I use a gluten-free, organic one from Sprouts)

1/2 Avocado

1/2 C. Shredded Cooked Chicken

1/2 C. Black Beans

1/2 C. Shredded Organic Lettuce

1 TBSP. Paleo Mayo

1 tsp. Cholula or other hot sauce

1 TBSP. coconut milk

​Directions:

To make this quick and easy, I usually have shredded chicken on hand in the fridge from meal planning the weekend before, or I pick up a rotisserie chicken from Sprouts to have on hand to shred and throw in bowl and salads.

Prepare your rice and set aside. Once rice is cooked, heat black beans over low-medium heat until warmed.

In a small bowl, whisk paleo mayo, Cholula and coconut milk to make a spicy, creamy, dairy-free sauce.

In a wide, deep bowl spoon in your rice. Top with a layer of black beans, shredded lettuce, shredded chicken and sliced avocado.

Top with sauce, mix and enjoy!

Think of the possibilities you could incorporate. You could omit the beans and rice, add salsa and more veggies to make it Whole 30 and Paleo friendly. Swap out the sauce for a creamy cashew cheese. To make it vegan, lose the mayo and chicken and add bell peppers and spiced tofu.

It's amazing how delicious something can become when you literally just throw things together.

Still under the weather, I've been scrambling to make hearty, healthy meals without having to hit the store in this windy, chilly weather. Enter my Teriyaki Chicken Apple Bowl. Which not only took literally less than 10 minutes to make, it was actually AMAZING and I suspect will be something I now crave on the regular.

Funny how that happens isn't it?

The sauteed spinach MAKES this bowl, as does the teriyaki drizzle. And if you're not into teriyaki sauce loaded with soy and sugar and all that bad stuff, you're in luck because this is a teriyaki sauce made from coconut aminos and is clean and delicious.

I also suggest making a double batch of this, which the recipe below reflects, because... leftovers. ​

Ingredients:

2 Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage

2 C Fresh Organic Spinach

2 C Organic Jasmin or Long Grain White Rice

Coconut Aminos Teriyaki (I get mine at Sprouts or Whole Foods)

2 TBSP. Avocado Oil

Sea Salt

Directions:

Cook rice in rice cooker or pan until fluffy and set aside.

Cut sausage into coins and place in a sautee pan with spinach, sea salt to taste and avocado oil.

Sautee over medium heat until sausage is cooked through and spinach is wilted.

And I still can't believe I made a sauce oh so creamy that you'd swear there's no way it's dairy free.

But it is TOTALLY dairy-free guys.

Mr. Charming has been craving alfredo sauce lately. #SadPanda for Mandi. And my eighth month of pregnancy is bringing about AWESOME heartburn so tomato sauce is an enemy of mine at the moment. So what's a girl to do when she wants pasta night? Create something wonderful of course.

Chicken Apple Sausage has also been a spring staple in our meals and with baby cravings greens, so have crisp asparagus spears.

The recipe for the Sweet Onion Cream Sauce is super easy and takes no time at all. Enjoy!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyNutrishDish #CollectiveBias

Spring is in the air and that means time outdoors with the family + crisp, cool recipes.

​Our Miniature Schnauzer Charlie adores this time of year because he knows it means days at the dog park, road trips around the state and exploring the backyard to his little hearts content. I'm also enjoying the slower pace of spring as we are wrapping an issue of the magazine and summer will be a more leisurely time to play with the pups and nest to get ready for baby.

After spending an early morning at a local farm with the hubs perusing delicious goodies, it was time to return home for lunch and naps with the pup.

Many of you have been asking me, that when I'm not making Charlie's food from scratch, what I feed him. There are many seasons of life where one may not have the resources, the time or the funds to make homemade dog food to keep on hand. It's important to know what brand to trust to make sure your fur babies are getting the best, in not only flavor and texture, but in nutritional value. It's a delicate balance to ensure they're getting all of what they need.

We chose the DISH from Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® dry dog food line because, like we do, she uses whole ingredients in her recipes. Our pups are family to us and it's important, knowing what I do about food and what it can do for our bodies, that they also get the best of the best. It's formulated for all size dogs too, which makes it a match for our 13 year old senior lab as well.

I've been a fan of Rachael's for many years now, the heart she has for dogs and the quality of her product lines. Having my dogs on a wheat and corn free diet (like mama, like pups) I was ecstatic to see this new product emerge. Also free of soy, gluten, by-product, fillers or preservatives, I feel confident in knowing it's a food that can grow with him as he grows from puppy into a little man and into his senior years.

Once the pup was fed, it was time to whip up something for me and the hubs. With Sunday being our meal prep and plan for the week day, I wanted something cool, quick and easy. So I took cues from Charlie's decadent dish, the DISH Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe with Veggies & Fruit,to create the recipe below for my Spring Chicken Salad.

Using some of the same whole ingredients founds in Charlie's nosh - green apples, cranberries and chicken became the stars of our lunchtime fare. Serving it with my favorite gluten free brown rice crackers gave us the whole grains needed to round out our protein packed meal.

This salad is cool and refreshing and serves 2. The cranberries offer a welcome sweetness while the tart apple and spring greens lend a nice crunch.

It was the perfect compliment to the refreshing homemade lemonade we picked up at the farm this morning and I felt good knowing Charlie was enjoying a meal that was also packed with vitamins and minerals that his little energetic, growing body needs.

If you are wanting to make the switch or want to try DISH from Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® remember to gradually introduce the food by incorporating it into your current dog food over the course of 7-10 days. Slowly replace your dog’s current food with DISH until it’s completely switched over.

We found it at Target and it was simple to find, located in the Pet Supply and Dog Food section of the store. Many stores carry it, and you can check the store locator for a store near you.

Charlie adores this food and gets excited for mealtime, which shows me it's an authentic win in our household.

​And for those of you who know my heart for dogs, Rachael’s personal proceeds are given to Rachael’s Rescue, an organization that was created to help shelter pets in need. She has donated over $10M to date towards food, medical supplies and treatments for these unfortunate animals. A win/win for my dogs and those without a home.
​

Have you tried DISH from Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®? Or, do you have an adorable photo of your pup to share with me? Leave it in the comments below or contact me. Seriously can never have enough cute dog photos on the internet in my opinion.

Do you have a favorite quick and easy go-to spring salad recipe? I'd love to try + taste! Share below!

It's officially Fall. This fact means my palette begins to crave all the fall favorites. Soups, stews, turkey, sweet potatoes and all the traditional Thanksgiving-related fixings. However, living in Arizona, it's still reaching triple digits and it doesn't sound like the funnest afternoon to have my oven heating the house to temperatures that will melt us.

That's where my Thanksgiving-inspired salad comes in. This is one of my favorite go-to lunches right now. Super simple, crisp and cool, I still get to please my palette with falls favorite tastes. Juicy turkey breast? Check. Sweet, tart cranberries, check. And to top it off I pair this with a cool, savory side of bacon and sweet potato salad and boom, it's like Thanksgiving and summer made a love child.

A love child of crisp, cool, crunchy goodness that bursts with all the flavors of the holiday season.

After Mr. Charming and I spent the day Dating Our City, we knew we wanted to end it with a lovely evening at home with a delicious meal. And we wanted to try something new.

There seems to be a new phenomenon in the Paleo world in the form of a new book. Being a part of the Paleo community, I'm probably more exposed to things of this nature than most, but I couldn't deny that a certain title kept coming up again and again and again. Paleo Takeout by Russ Crandall.

Russ Crandall, like many of us in the Paleo world, suffered health ailments that brought him to the realization that food can heal. Except he struggled with much more than the average 20-something. At the young age of twenty-five, Crandall suffered a stroke and has since used his struggles and his story to inspire others through food. A concept very near & dear to my heart.

Not only is his story inspiring, but he is hands on with his readers. Answering questions, helping to tweak recipes and touring to meet his fans and readers face to face. In the day and age we live in, it's so refreshing to still see that since of connection & community. And aside from all of the RAVE food reviews after people trying out his recipes, it was something endearing that made me RUSH out to pick up my own copy.

Now, here on Nosh & Nurture, I try to infuse a lot of "comfort" food and easy recipes here, to show you that you CAN cook healthy and fast at home. Russ shows us that delicious take-out doesn't have to be a thing of our past. With a background in food, he put together a curated collection of a delicious mix of foods from around the world that are typical 'fast food' eats - and then made them Paleo.

The first one I tried was a dish I've missed for nearly five years. Honey Sesame Chicken. I altered the recipe slightly to my specifications and needs, (ie: no sesame seeds pictured on mine) but I can tell you hands down that 1. It was 100% satisfying. 2. It was 1000% delicious and 3. I will be serving this at a dinner party in the very near future.

That third statement is huge. When it comes to hosting dinner parties I only ever serve food that is not only Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free, but I serve food that will pass off as the "real deal". Food that kids will not only eat but enjoy and foods that make people ask, "where can I get more of this?"

Mr. Charming and I will be trying many more of Mr. Crandall's recipes and I can tell you it's the best $20 I've spent in a long time.

For more information on Paleo Takeout visit his website here, or the facebook group here, where you can connect with all of us foodies who are trying out his book, page by delicious page.

P.S. this is not a sponsored post. Just a post by a fan who wants to hug this man for bringing crispy honey chicken back into my life.

These little things are so good. We eat a lot of baked chicken and grilled chicken with veggies and on salads. But one night I was craving CRUNCHY chicken. Like fried chicken, but healthy. I can't handle grease anymore, and of course it needed to be gluten free. So I came up with these little fingers and they were so delectable when paired with the Nature's Hollow BBQ Sauce.

They ARE dry without sauce, because of the coating, (inside they are super juicy though!) so you will want a good dipping sauce whether it be a paleo BBQ sauce, honey mustard or ketchup.

I did a review of the sauce here. And you can buy it online. Sprout's use to carry it, and still carries the ketchup at some locations, but I can only find the BBQ sauce through their website now. Read on for the recipe.

P.S. mine got a little crispy, because it was my first attempt, and I left them in a little long. I have adjusted the recipe below. Also, the crackers I used DO contain egg, but you could use a gluten-free cracker without to make these also egg-free.

Take a box of Yahuda's gluten free matza crackers or something similar and crush until you have fine crumbs. Pour into a bowl and cover chicken tenders until coated completely. (the marinade will allow the cracker crumbs to adhere nicely.)

*They DO make gluten-free bread crumbs you could use to make a breaded chicken, however those contain yeast and other preservatives that I cannot have, and I LOVED the crunch these crackers provided.

Place in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet (I used organic olive oil cooking spray)

Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. My crackers got a little too done at 35 minutes, so I altered the recipe to a shorter time. Make SURE your chicken is cooked all the way through. You could also alter it to a lower temp at the longer time. Each cracker/cooking spray is different for how it cooks the gluten-free cracker because they are so dry.

Combine remaining BBQ sauce and honey to make a dipping sauce & enjoy!

The possibilities for this veggie stir-fry are endless, however I kept it to veggies that are safe for Auto-Immune Paleo, as I was using a lot of peppers/tomatoes in my dinners lately and I havn't been feeling as well, so I thought I'd omit them with this tasty dish. There is also a meat option, and if you eat tofu you may add that as well. I do not promote the consumption of soy products due to so much soy being GMO, and the way it messes with my hormones. The beauty of this dish is you can alter it to your specifications anyway you like. Ingredients:Vegetables - 1 Medium Size Organic Onion, diced2 Cloves Garlic, MincedOlive Oil6 Leaves of Organic KaleBase - 1 C. Brown Riceor1 C. QuinoaorZucchini or Sweet Potato Noodles (For Grain Free)Toppings -Chicken Breast (optional)orNon-GMO Soy Tofu (optional)Instructions:Sauté 1 diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 6 leaves of cleaned, diced kale. Kale cleanse the blood as well as the intestines. Add additional veggies of choicem, 1 package of cooked tofu for protein or grilled chicken, and serve over 1 cup brown rice, quinoa or vegetable noodles.

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Nosh & Nurture was born of this journey I am on to better the health of myself, my family and those around me. What started as a simple compilation of recipes has grown to a all-around lifestyle journal with ways to incorporate organic products into your home, pantry and beauty cabinet. I also include stories on pregnancy, new motherhood, travel, Proverbs 31 marriage, and spiritual health, as I am a Christian who couldn't do any of this without my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. For more of my story you can click here.

All recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free with a lot of soy-free, grain-free, sugar-free options.

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All content herein is owned by Mandi Pimental and Nosh & Nurture. Pinning images is allowed, however, reposting blogs, recipes, photos or additional content without a link back to NoshandNurture.com is prohibited.